True On Sodor
by GreenWiggle2018
Summary: The Rainbow King dispatches True and Bartleby to the Island of Sodor to deliver a present to a friend of his, Sir Topham Hatt, and while they're at it, they meet the Island's most famous resident, Thomas the Tank Engine, and when the present is stolen, Thomas helps them track down and recover it.
1. Sodor Or Bust

**Chapter 1: Sodor Or Bust**

One day in the Rainbow Kingdom, True and Bartleby were inside their house, sitting around.

"What do you feel like doing today, True?" Bartleby asked.

"I don't know, Bee." said True. "What do you feel like doing?"

"I don't know, either." said Bartleby. "It's just so boring today for some reason."

"Yeah, it is." said True.

Just then, True heard someone calling her on her Face Bubble, and when she answered, it turned out to be the Rainbow King.

"Hello, Your Majesty!" said True.

"Hello, True, Bartleby." said the King. "Can you two come to my castle, please? I have a favor to ask."

"Sure." said True. "We'll be right over."

"Splendid." said the King. "I'll be waiting."

The two then ended the call.

"Who was that, True?" asked Bartleby.

"It was the Rainbow King." said True. "He has a favor to ask us at the castle."

"Finally!" Bartleby said. "Something to do!"

True giggled.

"Come on, Bee." she said.

With that, the two friends took Cumulo over to the castle.

"Thanks, Cumulo." said True once they landed.

Cumulo chattered happily and flew away. True and Bartleby then went inside the castle and found the Rainbow King seated on his throne.

"Ah, True, Bartleby, you're here." said the King.

"Hi, Your Majesty." said Bartleby. "So, what's this favor?"

"So glad you asked." said the King.

The King clapped his hands, and one of his guards brought in a wooden chest that was painted in a rainbow pattern and had gold trim.

"I want you two to deliver this to my good friend Sir Topham Hatt." said the King. "He lives in a place called the Island of Sodor."

"Oooh!" said True. "Where's that?"

"It's on the other side of the world." said the King. "It's surrounded by beautiful blue sea and has fields of green and sandy yellow beaches. There are also rivers, streams, lots of trees, windmills, a coal mine, and docks where visitors arrive. I've been there many times myself, so that's how I know."

"If that's the case, then why don't you just deliver it yourself?" asked Bartleby.

"It's simply too heavy for me." said the King.

"Oh, that makes sense." said Bartleby.

"Besides, I think it's time you got introduced to the locals on Island." said the King. "They're really nice fellows, and I think you'll really like them."

"Alright, thanks for the info." said True. "Ready, Bee?"

"Yup!" said Bartleby. "By the way, King, what's in the chest?"

"It's a surprise." said the King.

"Cool!" said True. "Well, come on, Bee, let's go!"

"Godspeed, True and Bartleby." said the King. "And whatever you do, don't lose that chest!"

"Don't worry, we won't!" said True as she and Bartleby left the castle with the chest.

With that, they went outside, and True called Cumulo. Cumulo soon came, and True and Bartleby climbed aboard, with the chest.

"To the Island of Sodor, Cumulo." said True.

Cumulo tried to take off, but wouldn't budge. It didn't take too long for True and Bartleby to figure out what was wrong.

"This chest is too heavy for Cumulo to carry." said True.

Cumulo nodded in agreement.

"Sorry, Cumulo." said True as she and her cat friend disembarked. "But we're going to have to find someone stronger than you to take us to Sodor."

Cumulo chattered in a forgiving manner and flew away.

"Now, since Cumulo's out of the question, how do we get to Sodor?" asked Bartleby.

Just then, the King came over to them.

"There's something I forgot to tell you." said the King. "I asked someone to come by and give you a lift to Sodor."

"Oh, okay." said Bartleby.

"And who is this "someone"?" True asked.

Her answer came soon enough, as a white helicopter with red lining landed right next to them. Red lettering near the tail spelled out the name "Harold".

"Hello." the helicopter said.

"Hi." said True. "Who are you?"

"My name is Harold." said the helicopter. "And you two must be True and Bartleby."

True and Bartleby were surprised.

"How do you know our names, Mister Harold?" True asked.

Harold chuckled.

"Please, just call me "Harold"." said Harold. "Also, Rainbow King right there has told me and my friends on Sodor about you."

"Ah, I see." said True.

"Well, all aboard!" said Harold.

With that being said, True and Bartleby boarded Harold and loaded the chest into his cargo bay. Soon, they were airborne.

"This is so exciting, True!" said Bartleby. "Our first helicopter ride!"

"You said it, Bee!" said True. "I can hardly contain my excitement for our arrival on Sodor!"

"Neither can I!" said Bartleby.

Eventually, Harold could see the Island.

"There it is!" he said. "The Island of Sodor!"

True and Bartleby beamed at this announcement.

"Yay, we're here!" True said.

Eventually, Harold began to descend, and True and Bartleby grew even more excited to see what the Island looked like from the ground.

**End of Chapter 1**


	2. Touchdown

**Chapter 2: Touchdown**

Soon, Harold touched down on a helipad. True and Bartleby stepped out and looked around.

"What is this place?" True asked.

"True and Bartleby, welcome to the Sodor Search & Rescue Center." said Harold.

"Ooooh!" said Bartleby. "What happens here?"

"It's where I live with my friends Belle, Flynn, Butch, Rocky, and Captain." said Harold. "We form the Sodor Search & Rescue Team."

"Nice." said True. "What do you guys do?"

"Well, basically, we rescue people who need to be rescued." said Harold. "Belle and Flynn mainly fight fires, Captain does water rescues, and I rescue people neither Belle, Flynn, nor Captain can reach, such as on cliffs."

"Nice." said Bartleby. "What about Rocky and Butch?"

"Rocky and Butch are our recovery units." said Harold. "If an engine derails, Rocky is used to lift them back on the tracks. Butch is the same way with road vehicles."

"Cool." said True. "I'd like to meet them."

"That can be arranged." said a voice.

A yellow and navy blue tow truck with "Sodor Heavy Recovery Unit" written on both sides in white on the sides and the logo of the Sodor Search and Rescue Centre on his cab doors pulled up.

"Hey, Butch." said Harold.

"Hey, Harold." said Butch. "Who are your two friends?"

"This is True and Bartleby." said Harold. "They'd like to meet Rocky and the other members of the team."

"Unfortunately, Belle and Flynn aren't here right now because they got called to a fire at Ulfstead Castle, but I can take you to meet Rocky and Captain." said Butch.

"Sure." said True. "And you know, Bee and I have a friend named Rocky back in the Rainbow Kingdom."

"Yup, we sure do." said Bartleby.

"That's nice to hear." said Butch. "Well, all aboard!"

With that, True and Bartleby boarded Butch and he took them over to a brick red Ransomes & Rapier 45-ton steam crane with yellow hazard stripes on its sides and back.

"Hi there." the crane said once True and Bartleby got out of Butch.

"Hello." said True. "I'm True, and this is Bartleby."

"You must be Rocky." said Bartleby.

"That I am." said Rocky. "It's mighty nice to meet you two."

"You too." said True.

Butch then took True and Bartleby over to a boathouse where a RNLI Liverpool-class lifeboat with a yellow cab, a blue and red hull with a white stripe, and a thin yellow mast at the stern was reading a copy of "20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" by Jules Verne.

"Hi, Captain!" True said.

Captain was so startled he almost dropped his book, but he caught it just in time.

"Phew!" said Captain. "That was a close one!"

"Sorry, Captain." said True.

"Oh, it's quite alright." said Captain. "I was just about done with this chapter, anyway."

Captain then put a bookmark in his book and set it down.

"So, tell me, what are your names?" Captain asked.

"This is True and Bartleby." said Butch.

"Nice names." said Captain.

"Thank you." said True.

Just then, they heard a whistle, followed by the sound of a train approaching.

"Looks like Thomas is here with those parts." said Captain.

"About time." said Butch.

"Who's Thomas?" True asked. "And what parts?"

"A. Our turntable is in need of repairs, and B. Come with me and you'll see." said Butch.

Butch then took True and Bartleby to the Rescue Center's station, where men were unloading some large crates from a boxcar that was being pulled by a light blue LB&SCR Class E2 0-6-0T tank engine with red lining and the number "1" on its sides.

"Hey, Thomas." said Butch.

"Hi, Butch." said Thomas. "Sorry the parts took longer than expected to get here, Henry broke down and I offered to take him to the Steamworks to be repaired."

"That's alright, Thomas." said Butch. "Better late than never. By the way, we have two new friends here today. True, Bartleby, meet Thomas the Tank Engine."

"Hello, Thomas!" said True and Bartleby.

"Hello, True and Bartleby." said Thomas. "Welcome to the Island of Sodor!"

"Thanks!" said True.

But then, Bartleby remembered why he and True were there.

"True, the chest!" said Bartleby.

"Oh, yeah!" said True. "We left it with Harold!"

"You mean this?" asked a voice.

It was Harold's pilot, who had the chest in his hands.

"Whoa." said Thomas. "That's one fancy box! What is it?"

"It's a present for someone named Sir Topham Hatt." said True. "Compliments of the Rainbow King."

"I know Sir Topham Hatt." said Thomas. "He's my boss."

"Oh, nice." said True. "Can you take us to him?"

"Sure." said Thomas. "Hop on my cab."

And that's what they did. Soon, they were off, unaware that they were being watched. Elsewhere, at the Vicarstown Dieselworks, a small green Fletcher Jennings Class Bb 0-4-0 narrow gauge steam locomotive with the name "Smudger" on his sides was looking at a screen with six diesel locomotives. One of them was an ochre BR Class 42 diesel-hydraulic locomotive with tan stripes on its sides and a hydraulic claw on its roof and the other five were BR Class 08 diesel-electric shunter locomotives. The first was solid black in color, the second and third were both painted green-grey and yellow with hazard stripes on their fronts and "Sodor Ironworks" on their sides, though the third also had more stubble than the other, the fourth was painted purple and grey and had the name "Splatter" on his sides, and the fifth had a paint scheme similar to the fourth, except the purple parts were olive instead. He also had the name "Dodge" on his sides. Two Scammell Mountaineer dump trucks were also there. Both were red, but they had some differences. For starters, one sported the number "15" and a thick front bumper and the other sported the number "16" and had a "two pipe-type" front bumper.

"You guys see that?" Smudger asked.

"Yup, we saw it." said the Class 42. "It's a very pretty box."

"It sure is, Diesel 10." said Smudger. "And that girl said that "Compliments of the Rainbow King", and you guys know what that means."

"Yup." said the first Class 08. "Gold."

"And silver." said the second Class 08.

"And diamonds." said the third.

"And rubies, and emeralds, and sapphires." said Splatter.

"And other precious stones." said the Dodge. "And maybe some cash, too."

"Or maybe even all of that!" said both dump trucks.

"Yes, Diesel, 'Arry, Bert, Splatter, Dodge, Max, and Monty." said Smudger. "And just think, if we can get our buffers on that box and whatever lies inside, we'll have more than enough to retire on!"

"Yeah, we'll never have to work again!" said 'Arry.

"It's settled then." said Smudger. "That box is as good as ours. Let's keep watching them to see where they're headed."

With that, Smudger and his diesel friends continued watching the screen with intent, keen on learning where the chest containing the Rainbow King's present to Sir Topham Hatt was going to end up.

**End of Chapter 2**


	3. Arrival At Tidmouth & Smudger's Plan

**Chapter 3: Arrival At Tidmouth & Smudger's Plan**

Meanwhile, True and Bartleby were enjoying their ride.

"This is really exciting, Bee!" said True. "I never knew we would be riding in the engine of a train at some point!"

"Yeah, I know!" said Bartleby. "Say, how do steam engines like Thomas work?"

"I can teach you." said Thomas' driver. "Watch."

They watched as Thomas' fireman shoveled coal into Thomas' firebox.

"The fireman shovels coal into this thing called a firebox." the diver explained. "Inside, there's a fire that burns the coal and boils the water in Thomas' water tanks, and as the heat builds up, so does the steam pressure, which drives the pistons, which turns the wheels."

"Oooh, fascinating!" said True. "But what about all these levers?"

"Well, this big one here is the throttle." said the driver. "This helps us control the steam pressure, and this little one here is the brake, this helps us stop. These gauges show the amount of pressure and how much water is in Thomas' tanks. This chain up here, that's the whistle."

"The whistle." True repeated.

"Yup." said the driver. "Wanna have a go?"

"Really?" True asked.

"Yeah, kid, go for it." said the fireman.

With that, True grabbed the chain and pulled. Sure enough, Thomas' whistle was heard.

"I've wanted to do that my whole life!" True said.

True blew the whistle two more times, and giggled as she did.

"Alright, I think that's enough whistle blowing for now." said the driver.

"Agreed." said Thomas.

They eventually arrived at an engine shed, and True saw two engines, both of which had tenders. The first was a blue Furness Railway K2 4-4-0 engine with red lining and the number "2" on its tender and the second was a red L&YR Class 28 2-6-0 engine with black lining and wheels, a brass dome, and the number "5" on its tender. Both engines were playing Go Fish.

"Got any fives?" the red engine asked the blue engine.

"Go fish." said the blue engine.

"Who are those two?" True asked as she and Bartleby jumped out, grabbing the chest while doing so.

"Those two are Edward and James." said Thomas. "Edward's the blue one and James is the red one."

"Nice." said True.

Thomas then blew his whistle loudly to get the other engines' attention.

"Hey, Thomas!" said James.

"Hey, little brother." Edward said.

Just then, Edward noticed True and Bartleby.

"Well, hi there." he said. "Who might you be?"

"My name is True." said True. "And this is my friend Bartleby."

"What's up?" said Bartleby.

"It's nice to meet you both." said James.

"Say, what's in that chest?" Edward asked upon noticing the package True and Bartleby were carrying.

"It's a present for Sir Topham Hatt." said Thomas.

"Yeah, from the Rainbow King." said True.

"Wow." said James. "If it's from a king, whatever's inside must be priceless."

"Did he say what it was?" asked Edward.

"No." said True. "And I don't think we're allowed to look inside."

"Well, in any case, I think a wise idea would be to put it someplace where it'll be safe." said Edward.

"Good call, E." said James. "But where?"

"I know!" said Thomas. "We can put it in my boxcar!"

"Great idea." said True.

With that, Thomas' crew took the chest and locked it inside the boxcar. Afterwards, Thomas took the brake van he had used back to the yard, and soon came back.

"By the way, has there been any news on Henry?" asked Thomas.

"Funny you should ask, because James and I just went to visit him." said Edward.

"Yeah, and Victor said that Henry had to stop very abruptly to avoid hitting a deer that had wandered onto the track, and two of his driving wheels got flats." said James.

"Ouch." said Thomas.

"Ouch indeed." said Edward. "But there is good news, that being they have just the right wheels needed, and in the right color, too."

"That is good news." said Thomas.

"What does Henry look like?" asked True.

"Why don't you take a look for yourself?" a voice asked.

True and Bartleby turned and watched as Henry, a green LMS Stanier Class 5 4-6-0 with red lining and the number "3" on its tender pulled in.

"Mister Henry, I presume?" asked True.

"Yup." said Henry. "And you are?"

"True." said True.

"And I'm Bartleby." said Bartleby. "But you can call me "Bee"."

"Feeling any better, H?" James asked.

"You bet." said Henry. "I feel like a brand-new engine."

"That's always a good feeling." said Edward.

"Yup, it sure is." said Henry.

"So, Henry, wanna join mine and James' Go Fish game?" Edward asked.

"Sure, why not?" asked Henry.

"What about you, Thomas?" asked James.

"No thanks, I'm good." said Thomas.

"Okay." said James. "Maybe later, we'll have a one-on-one. How's that?"

"Sounds good to me." said Thomas.

"Great." said James.

"Say, what is this so-called "Steam Works" and who is Victor?" asked True.

"I can take you over there if you want." said Thomas.

"Sure, that'd be great." said True.

"Great, let's go." said Thomas.

With that, True and Bartleby climbed back on Thomas' cab and they set off again. Back at the Dieselworks, Smudger and his gang were watching the whole thing from their screen.

"So it appears that they put the chest in that boxcar." said Diesel 10.

"Yes, they are." said Smudger.

"Now what do we do?" asked Dodge.

"I think now comes the part where we decide on how we're going to get to it." said Splatter.

"Precisely." said Smudger. "And I think it looks pretty easy. All we gotta do is get that boxcar open, grab the chest, and we're home free!"

"Yeah!" said Diesel. "I can already smell the sweet aroma of retirement, and it smells great."

"Now, do I have a volunteer or two?" asked Smudger.

"We'll do it!" said Max and Monty.

"Good." said Smudger. "You guys know what to do."

"Yup." said Max. "Just open the boxcar, grab the chest, and come back here."

"Wait." said Monty. "What if it's locked?"

"Oh, yes, good question." said Max.

"Well, you guys know the drill, if it's locked, just find a way to force it open." said Smudger. "You are free to use any methods you choose, but I want that chest intact. No disintegrations."

"As you wish." said Max.

"And one more thing; try not to get caught." said Smudger. "Otherwise, our whole operation will be in jeopardy."

"You got it, boss." said Monty.

"And also, wait until it's dark." said Smudger.

"Roger that." said Max.

"Alright." said Smudger. "Now go on and make me proud."

"Yes, Smudger!" said Max and Monty together.

The two dump trucks then sped away, and Smudger grinned evilly.

"Retirement Town, here we come." he said.

**End of Chapter 3**


	4. True At The Steamworks

**Chapter 4: True At The Steamworks**

Eventually, Thomas, True, and Bartleby arrived at a large building. The building had a sign that said "Sodor Steamworks" on its front.

"Here we are." said Thomas. "The Sodor Steam Works."

"Wow, it's big!" said True.

"Come on, let's go inside." said Thomas.

They did, and True and Bartleby got out of the cab. There, they saw a small 0-4-0ST+PT narrow gauge locomotive that was painted dark red with yellow lining and wheels, black and yellow hazard stripes on its front bufferbeam and on the rear of its cab above its rear bufferbeam, a lamp in front of its funnel, and the Steamworks' logo on the sides of its cab.

"Hello, Victor!" Thomas said.

The engine, whose name was just revealed to be Victor, smiled.

"Well, hello, Thomas, my friend." said Victor. "It is a surprise seeing you here. Is something wrong?"

"Not at all." Thomas said with a laugh. "I came here to introduce you to two new friends. True, Bartleby, meet Victor."

"Hi!" said True and Bartleby.

"Hello, True and Bartleby." said Victor. "Welcome to the Sodor Steamworks! This is where steam engines come for repairs, maintenence, or even a fresh coat of paint."

"So it's pretty much like a hospital for steam locomotives." said True.

"Pretty much so." said Victor.

Just then, a loud clanging sound was heard.

"What was that?" True asked.

"Probably my assistant, Kevin." said Victor.

"It sounds like it came from over there." said Thomas.

They went in the direction Thomas had indicated and sure enough, there was a yellow Ransomes & Rapier 6-ton 4-wheeled mobile crane with black and light yellow warning stripes on its front, a red hook, red wheels, and the Steamworks' logo on both sides of its cab, lying on the ground on its left side. A toolbox the crane had been carrying was lying on the ground as well, its contents scattered all over. Victor groaned when he saw this.

"Kevin, how many times do I have to tell you to be careful when carrying things like toolboxes?" he asked.

"Sorry, boss." said Kevin. "It was a slip of the hook."

"Isn't it always?" Victor asked with a roll of his eyes.

True and Bartleby giggled.

"We'll help you clean up." said True.

"That would be just wonderful." said Victor.

With that, True and Bartleby picked up the tools and put them back in the toolbox while Thomas helped Victor get Kevin upright again. Soon, everything was sorted out.

"There, that's done." said Victor. "Now that it is, how about I give you two a tour?"

"That'd be nice." said True.

"Yeah, thanks." said Bartleby.

"No problem." said Victor. "Follow me, please."

With that, Victor showed True and Bartleby around the entire Steamworks, and both were impressed.

"That is so cool!" said True.

"Yeah!" said Bartleby.

Just then, they noticed that the sun was starting to set.

"Hey, it's getting late." said True.

"You're right, True." said Bartleby. "We should probably go back to Tidmouth."

"My thoughts exactly." said Thomas.

After saying goodbye to Victor and Kevin, True and Bartleby climbed back on Thomas' cab and they were soon on their way back to Tidmouth. They soon arrived, and were greeted by four more engines: A blue GNR Class A1 Pacific 4-6-2 tender engine with red lining and the number "4" on its tender, a green Avonside Saddle Tank 0-4-0 tank engine with red lining and the number "6" on its sides, a brown wooden GER class C53 steam tram with the number "7" on its sides, and a dark green GNR G3 Stirling Single 4-2-2 tender engine. These engines were Gordon, Percy, Toby, and Emily, all of whom were introduced to True and Bartleby.

"It's really nice to meet you two." said Toby.

"You guys as well." said True. "By the way, is there somewhere were me and Bartleby can sleep?"

"There's some cots in the back." said Gordon.

"Thanks." said True.

With that, True and Bartleby got two cots set up.

"By the way, Thomas, there's something I've been wanting to ask." True said.

"Shoot." said Thomas.

"Why did Edward call you "Little brother" earlier?" True asked.

"Because Thomas really is my kid brother." Edward said.

"Yeah, and I'm their Old Man." said Gordon.

"That means you're their dad, right?" asked Bartleby.

"That's right." said Gordon.

"Wow!" said True. "Who would've thought that even trains can have families?"

"Well, it's late." said Gordon. "We should all probably get some sleep."

"Good call, G." James said with a yawn. "Goodnight, everybody."

"Goodnight." everyone else said.

With that, everyone closed their eyes and soon fell fast asleep, unaware of the events that were about to unfold.

**End of Chapter 4**


	5. The Tidmouth Job

**Chapter 5: The Tidmouth Job**

Outside, little did the engines know that Max and Monty were watching them. Max had a pair of binoculars.

"Well, Monty, the coast is clear." said Max. "Let's roll."

"I'm right behind you, bro." said Monty.

The two dump trucks then wheeled their way towards the boxcar, and soon were within reach.

"Alright." said Max. "Not to get this bad boy open."

Max pulled on the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"It's locked." said Max.

"Good thing I brought by lock pick gun." said Monty. "Shine some light on it for me, would ya?"

Max did exactly that, but the twins then made a shocking discovery.

"Oh, gosh darn it." said Max. "They put one of those fancy five-digit combination locks on it!"

"It looks like we'll have to blast it open." said Monty.

"No way." said Max. "You heard what Smudger said. "No disintegrations"."

"Yes, I heard." said Monty. "But he probably meant "No disintegrations _to the box_"."

"I suppose so." said Max. "Alright, we'll try it your way."

Monty then took out a red suitcase and opened it up. Inside were breaching charges and a roll of duct tape.

"Whoa." said Max.

"Alright, now you know how I used to get the blue stuff, right?" said Monty. "But this, this was on sale."

"I love how thrifty you are." said Max.

"Maybe we better read the directions, just to be sure we know what we're doing." said Monty.

"Good idea." said Max.

Monty then got out a small book and opened it up. However, the text on the pages was not in English.

"What is that?" Max asked. "Korean?"

"No, actually not, that's Chinese." said Monty. "See? Because Chinese is a pictogram alphabet."

"Is it?" Max asked. "Well, explosives are explosives."

The twins then took one of the charges, taped it to the door of the boxcar, pulled the pin, and drove a safe distance from it after putting on noise-cancelling earmuffs. Soon enough, the device exploded, and when the smoke cleared, there was the chest, which had somehow managed to remain perfectly intact, waiting for them.

"Huh, well, I'll be darned." said Max. "Let's grab it and get out of here."

Monty put the chest in his dumper and they sped off into the darkness.

"Hey, do you think they heard that?" asked Monty.

"I doubt it." said Max. "Those engines could probably sleep through a hurricane."

However, contrary to Max's thoughts, Percy had indeed heard the explosion.

"What was that?!" he asked.

"What was what?" asked James.

"That loud boom." said Percy. "It sounded like some kind of explosion."

"It's probably the army doing a live-fire exercise." said Toby.

"At _this _hour?" asked Edward.

"Maybe it's just someone out hunting." said Thomas.

"Well, regardless, I'm sure it's nothing too serious." said Gordon. "Anyways, we should probably go back to sleep."

Everyone else agreed. Meanwhile, Max and Monty were still driving down the road to the Dieselworks when all of a sudden, Max saw a pothole.

"Monty, look out!" Max shouted.

Max veered out of the way and managed to dodge the pothole. Monty, however, wasn't so lucky, and he hit it, causing the chest to tumble out of his dumper and onto the road with a thud. Neither of the twins noticed this. That is, until they arrived at the Dieselworks, where Smudger, Diesel, Diesel 10, 'Arry, Bert, Splatter, and Dodge were waiting.

"So, did you get it?" asked Smudger.

"Yup." said Monty. "It's right here."

Monty then reached into his dumper, but discovered it was empty.

"Uh-oh." he said.

"What's wrong?" Max asked.

"Max, can I talk to you in private?" Monty asked.

"Sure." said Max.

Max and Monty then went outside, leaving Smudger confused.

"What is going on?" the green steamie asked.

Outside, Max and Monty had gone to a shed and began conversing.

"It's empty!" Monty said. "My dumpster is empty! The chest isn't there!"

"What?!" Max cried. "I thought you grabbed it!"

"I did!" said Monty. "I guess it must've fallen out when I hit that pothole."

"Well, Smudger's not gonna be pleased to hear this." said Max.

"I guess we'll just have to tell him." said Monty with a sigh.

"Yes, we might as well." said Max.

With that, the two dump trucks went into the building and broke the news to Smudger, who was shocked and angry.

"**YOU LOST IT?!**" he roared.

"We're really sorry, Smudger." Max said.

Smudger sighed.

"Actually, this one's on me." he said. "I should've had you guys tie it down or something like that. Well, we can't do anything about it now. We'll have to wait until morning."

"Right, Smudger." said Diesel. "Goodnight, all."

With that, the diesels went to sleep in their sheds while Smudger went back to the Skarloey Railway and the dump truck twins went back to the Sodor Construction Company yard. Elsewhere, the chest was still sitting where it was on the road when all of a sudden, a light shone over it.

"Fizzling fireboxes." a voice said. "What's this?"

**End of Chapter 5**


	6. A Shocking Discovery & The SEDA

**Chapter 6: A Shocking Discovery & The SEDA**

The next morning, Thomas was getting ready to shunt the coaches and cars for the other engines' jobs and his own, but as he was heading out of his berth to go onto the turntable, he saw the state of the boxcar.

"Cinders and ashes!" he cried.

"What's the matter, Thomas?" James asked.

The answer to James' question came soon enough, as it was then that James saw that Thomas had seen.

"Oh, wow!" James said.

The other engines then came out of their berths, and True and Bartleby rose from their cots.

"What's going on?" asked Gordon.

"Look!" said Thomas.

The other engines, True, and Bartleby looked and saw the boxcar.

"Oh no!" True cried. "That's the boxcar the Rainbow King's present to Sir Topham Hatt was in!"

"What happened to it?" Bartleby asked.

The engines moved in closer to investigate, and Gordon found the remains of the breaching charge.

"It looks like it was blown open." said Gordon. "And by "blown", I mean as with a bomb, specifically a breaching charge."

"Is the chest okay?" True asked in a worried tone.

Henry peered into the boxcar and sighed.

"No, I'm afraid not." said Henry. "It's gone."

"What do you mean by that?" Bartleby asked.

"He means that whoever set off this breaching charge stole it." said Gordon.

True and Bartleby were shocked.

"**What?!**" they both cried.

"I'm afraid so." said Gordon.

Tears began forming in True's eyes.

"Bartleby and I promised the Rainbow King we wouldn't lose his present to Sir Topham Hatt." True said in a choked-up voice. "And now we have! Now Sir Topham Hatt will never get his present!"

True started to cry, and Emily, Edward, and James comforted her.

"Shh, it's okay, True, it's okay." said Emily.

Bartleby, on the other hand, was angry.

" "They're really nice fellows", he said." Bartleby said. " "I think you'll really like them", he said. Well, I certainly do not like the nutcase who decided to steal that chest."

"But who could've done it?" asked Edward.

"I'm not sure." said Gordon. "But I think it's time we were getting to work."

"Right." said James.

With that, Edward, Gordon, Henry, James, and Emily left, leaving Thomas, Percy, Toby, True, and Bartleby behind. Thomas, Percy, and Toby then looked at each other and smirked.

"You guys thinking what I'm thinking?" asked Thomas.

"Yup." said Percy.

"You bet your buffers we are." said Toby.

"What?" asked True.

"This looks like a job for..." said Thomas.

Thomas then got together with Percy and Toby.

"The SEDA!" the threesome said.

"The what?" asked Bartleby.

"We'll show you." said Thomas, who then looked at Percy. "Call the others."

"On it like Donkey Kong." said Percy.

Percy then got out a walkie-talkie and pressed the "talk" button.

"Hey, it's me." he said. "Get the other guys and meet us here at Tidmouth Sheds. We've gotta case."

"We're on our way." said a voice.

"Great. See you soon." said Percy.

Percy then hung up.

"Who was that?" True asked.

"You'll find out soon enough." said Thomas.

Soon, four more tank engines arrived. One was a narrow gauge engine and the other three were standard gauge. The narrow gauge engine was a dark green Kerr Stuart Tattoo Class 0-4-2ST locomotive that was dark green in color with red lining, the name "Peter Sam", and the number "4" on its sides. The first standard gauge engine was a female lavender SR USA Class 0-6-0T with light grey tank panels, red lining and gold boiler bands. Her wheels were red with light grey wheel rims, and she also had freckles on her face. The other two standard gauge engines were male. One was a Kitson & Company 0-6-0ST/Hudswell Clarke 0-6-0ST hybrid locomotive that was silvery-grey in color with a metallic silver smoke-box and funnel, red wheels and lining, and the name "Stanley" on its sides and the other was a purple GNR Class N2 0-6-2T with white and gold lining, the name "Ryan", and the number "1014" on its sides. The female engine went by the name of Rosie.

"We're all here, Thomas." said Peter Sam.

"Good." said Thomas. "Now for the briefing."

With that, they all reversed into the sheds.

"What's going on here?" Bartleby asked.

"I don't know, Bee." said True. "Let's go check it out."

True and Bartleby then joined Thomas, Percy, Toby, Peter Sam, Rosie, Stanley, and Ryan in the sheds.

"Pull the lever, Ryan." said Thomas.

Ryan then pulled a lever on the wall. However, what happened next was not what Thomas was expecting at all, as the piece of track he was on opened up like a trapdoor and he plummeted through it like a stone.

"**WRONG LEVERRRRRRRRRRRRRRR!**" Thomas screamed as he fell.

A splash was then heard, followed by a giggle from True.

"Uh, oops." said Ryan.

The turntable then sank to the ground, then rose back up with Thomas on it. He was soaking wet and very annoyed.

"Why do we even _have_ that lever?" Thomas wondered out loud.

"You know, we really should label these things." Ryan said once Thomas rejoined them.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." said Thomas. "Just pull the other lever. And True, Bartleby, hop on my cab."

And that's what they did. Ryan pulled another another lever and they all were lowered into the ground. True and Bartleby watched this happen and were amazed.

"Whoa!" said True. "What's happening?"

"I don't know." said Bartleby. "But it looks like we might find out soon."

They soon arrived in a dark room.

"Where are we?" asked True.

"Yeah, and who turned out the lights?" asked Bartleby. "I can't see a thing!"

Just then, the lights turned on courtesy of Toby, and when True and Bartleby stepped off, they found themselves in a room with a breifing table, a corkboard with pictures of engines, sticky notes with words written on them, and thumbtacks and string all over it, a computer monitor, and a telephone.

"Wow." said True. "What is this place?"

"Welcome to the headquarters of the Sodor Engines Detective Agency." said Thomas.

The engines then went to the table and gathered around.

"So, what've we got?" asked Stanley. "And who are your two friends?"

"This is True and her cat friend Bartleby, visitors to the Island." said Thomas. "And they're the ones who gave us the case."

True and Bartleby were surprised.

"Us?" True asked.

Bartleby then caught on.

"I think he means the chest." said Bartleby.

"Oh, yeah, that." said True. "Well, you see, the Rainbow King, a friend of ours, sent us here with a present for Sir Topham Hatt. It was in this chest that was stolen from a boxcar.

Peter Sam then got out a sheet of paper and a case of colored pencils.

"What does this chest look like?" he asked.

"It's painted in a rainbow pattern, you know, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and purple." said True. "And it has gold trim."

"Okay." said Peter Sam.

Peter Sam then started drawing, and was soon finished.

"Is this it?" He asked when he showed True and Bartleby the picture.

"Yup, that's it." said True.

"Man, you're good." said Bartleby.

"Thanks." said Peter Sam. "I have a natural talent for it."

Thomas then took the drawing and, using a scanner, made seven copies of it, including one for himself.

"Alright, gang, here's a copy of Peter Sam's drawing." said Thomas. "You all know the drill, ask anyone you see if they've seen it."

"You got it, Thomas." said Percy.

"Good." said Thomas. "Alright, SEDA, roll out!"

With that, they went up the elevator and left the sheds. However, as soon as they were out of sight, a green GWR 5700 Class pannier tank locomotive with the letters "G", "W", and "R" and the number "8" on its sides arrived. This engine was Thomas' friend Duck.

"Hello?" Duck asked. "Anyone?"

But there was no response.

"That's odd." said Duck. "Where is everyone?"

**End of Chapter 6**


	7. Duck Is A Suspect

**Chapter 7: Duck Is A Suspect**

Meanwhile, Thomas, Percy, and True were searching for the chest, with True riding in Thomas' cab.

"I really hope we find that chest soon." said True. "The Rainbow King is counting on us."

"Don't worry, True." said Thomas. "We'll find that chest or my name isn't Thomas The Tank Engine."

Percy then saw a green BR Class 28 Co-Bo diesel-electric engine with the number "D5702" painted on its sides in white at a red signal.

"Hey, look, it's BoCo." Percy.

"Let's ask him if he's seen it." said Thomas.

And that's exactly what they did.

"Hi, BoCo." said Thomas. "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure." said BoCo. "What do you need?"

Thomas explained the situation to BoCo and showed him his copy of Peter Sam's drawing.

"Have you seen it?" Thomas asked.

"I'm sorry, but I haven't." said BoCo. "But don't worry, I'll keep an eye out for it."

"Alright." said Thomas. "Thanks, BoCo."

"Anytime." said BoCo.

The signal turned green and the four engines were soon on their way. Elsewhere, Stanley, Ryan, and Peter Sam were at Brendam Docks, speaking and showing one of their copies of Peter Sam's drawing of the chest to an orange BR Standard Class 9F 2-10-0 tender engine with red and green lining and the name "Murdoch" on its smoke deflectors.

"Nope, sorry." said Murdoch. "I haven't seen it."

"Oh, okay." said Peter Sam. "Thanks."

"No problem." said Murdoch. "But if I do see it, I'll let you know."

Stanley, Ryan, and Peter Sam left. Just as they did, Stanley heard Thomas calling him on his walkie-talkie.

"What's up, Thomas?" Stanley asked.

"Any luck?" Thomas asked.

"Negative." said Stanley. "We just talked with Murdoch, and he said he hasn't seen it, but he also said he'll tell us if he does."

"Percy, True, and I got almost the same answer from BoCo." said Thomas. "Except he said he'll keep and eye out for it."

"Great." said Stanley. "In the meantime, I guess we'll keep looking."

"My thoughts exactly." said Thomas.

In another part of the Island, Toby, Rosie, and Bartleby, with Bartleby in Toby's cab, were puffing down the line towards Arlesburgh Harbor when they saw two Caledonian Railway McIntosh 812 Class 0-6-0 tender locomotives. Both were black with white and red lining, except one of them had the name "Donald" and the number "9" on his sides and the other had the name "Douglas" and the number "10" on his.

"Oh, look, it's the Scottish twins, Donald and Douglas." said Toby. "Maybe they've seen it."

"Maybe." said Rosie. "Let's go look."

They went over to Donald and Douglas, and Toby rang his bell to get their attention.

" 'Allo, Toobay!" said Donald. "And Roosay!"

"Hello!" said Bartleby.

"And who are ye?" Douglas asked.

"This is Bartleby." said Rosie.

Rosie explained the situation to Donald and Douglas, then showed them her copy of Peter Sam's drawing.

"Aye, we have seen it!" said Donald. "Isn't that right, Douggie?"

"Aye, Donnie, 'tis." said Douglas.

"Really?" Toby asked. "Where?"

"Dook has it." said Donald. "He showed it to us at the shed last night."

"Perfect!" said Bartleby. "We have our thief!"

"Now hold on, Bartleby." said Toby. "We don't even know if it was him who actually stole it or not."

But Bartleby wasn't listening, and he then grabbed Toby's walkie-talkie.

"Hey!" Toby said. "You should know better than to just grab things without asking!"

Again, Bartleby wasn't listening.

"Thomas, True, we know who the thief is!" said Bartleby. "It's someone named Duck!"

"Duck?" Thomas asked. "Bartleby, what are you talking about?"

"Just come meet us at some place called The Little Western!" said Bartleby. "Whatever that is."

"Um, okay." said Thomas.

Bartleby then hung up and jumped back on Toby's cab.

"Come on!" said Bartleby. "We've got a thief to catch! To the Little Western!"

"Um, Bartleby, we're already here." said Rosie. "Arlesburgh Harbor is part of it."

"Oh." said Bartleby. "Well, to the shed, then!"

Meanwhile, at the main shed on the Little Western, a green GWR 1400 Class 0-4-2T tank locomotive with the letters "G", "W", and "R" in a circle and the number "11" on his sides was reading the newspaper next to a gray GWR Diagram AA2 brake van.

"Oh, look, Toad." said the engine. "Sodor United beat Liverpool last night."

"Yes!" cried Toad, the brake van. "Go Sodor!"

Just then, Toby, Donald, Douglas, Rosie, and Bartleby arrived, followed by the rest of the SEDA and True.

"Oh, hi, Mister Toby, Mister Donald, Mister Douglas, Mister Thomas, Mister Peter Sam, Mister Percy, Mister Ryan, Mister Stanley, and Miss Rosie." said Toad.

"Hey, guys." said the engine. "What's up?"

"Hi, Toad, Oliver." said Thomas. "Is Duck here?"

"Well, he's actually taking a train of ballast to Brendam right now, but he'll be back soon." said Oliver. "Why did you ask? Also, who are your two friends?"

Thomas explained everything to Oliver.

"So this technically makes him a suspect." said Oliver.

"Yes, it does." said Percy.

Just then, they heard Duck's whistle, and Duck steamed into the yard.

"There he is!" Bartleby said upon seeing him. "Get him!"

Duck was shocked, scared, and confused.

"Wait, what? What's going on?" Duck asked.

"Duck, we'd like you to-." Thomas asked.

"You're under arrest for theft of property of the Rainbow King." Bartleby announced.

Thomas face-palmed. Duck, on the other hand, was horrified.

"What?!" he cried. "Me?! Under arrest?! Theft?! Never!"

"Yeah, tell that to the judge." said Bartleby.

"Bartleby, let _me_ handle this." said Thomas.

"Fine." said Bartleby.

Thomas then looked at Duck.

"Now, as I was going to say before I was so** rudely interrupted**, Duck, we'd like you to come with us and answer some questions." said Thomas.

"Okay." Duck said nervously.

With that, the SEDA took Duck back to their headquarters, and Duck soon found himself in what looked like an interrogation room. Thomas and Bartleby were outside.

"Alright, so, this is how I think we should do this." said Bartleby. "I'll be the Bad Cop, and you can be the Good Cop."

Thomas groaned.

"A. In the SEDA, there's no such things as "Bad Cops" and "Good Cops", and B. _I'll_ ask the questions." said Thomas.

"Alright, have it your way." said Bartleby.

With that, they went into the room and Thomas explained everything to Duck, then showed him his copy of Peter Sam's drawing of the chest.

"Okay, Duck, from what we understand, Donald and Douglas claimed that last night, you showed them a chest that looks exactly like this." said Thomas. "Is this true?"

"Yes, it is." said Duck.

"And where did you find it?" asked Thomas.

"It was lying on the road." said Duck.

"A likely story..." said Bartleby.

"Will you be quiet?!" Thomas asked Bartleby through clenched teeth.

"Okay, okay." said Bartleby.

"Anyways, do you know how it wound up on the road, Duck?" asked Thomas.

"No." said Duck. "But I do remember taking it back to the Little Western."

"Ah-ha!" said Bartleby. "So you _are_ the thief!"

Thomas was finally fed up with Bartleby's accusations, so he took out a ball of yarn and gave it to him.

"Ooh, yarn!" said Bartleby.

Bartleby then started playing with the yard like any cat would.

"Where were you on the night it was stolen?" Thomas then asked Duck.

"Well, first, I had to deliver a shipment of paint to the Steamworks, then I was asked to take some schoolchildren to Ulfstead Castle for a class trip, then I was asked to help Paxton out at the Blue Mountain Quarry." said Duck. "Victor, the Earl, and Paxton can all vouch for me."

"Okay." said Thomas.

Thomas then got out his walkie-talkie and called Stanley.

"Call Victor, the Earl, and Paxton." said Thomas, and he explained why.

"I'll get on it right away." said Stanley.

With that being said, Stanley made the necessary calls, and Victor, the Earl, and Paxton were all able to confirm Duck's alibi.

"Everything checks out." said Stanley. "Duck did indeed go to all those places."

"Okay, good." said Thomas.

"So, does this mean I'm cleared as a suspect?" Duck asked.

"Yup." said Thomas. "You can go now, Duck. Sorry for the trouble."

"Nah, it's okay." said Duck.

"But wait, I still have a question." said Bartleby. "Where's the chest now? Is it still at the Little Western or what?"

"Actually, I turned it over to the staff at Knapford Station." said Duck. "It's in the Lost Property office."

"Alright, thanks." said Thomas.

"No problem." said Duck.

Duck then left, and Thomas and Bartleby rejoined the others and told them where the chest was. True was elated.

"Hooray!" she cheered. "Let's go get it!"

"Well, come on, then!" said Percy.

With that, True climbed onto Percy's cab and set off.

"But you know, there's one thing I don't get." said Ryan. "If Duck didn't steal the chest, then who did?"

"Who knows." said Thomas. "Maybe we'll just have to wait and see what the next chapter brings."

**End of Chapter 7**


	8. Recovering The Chest & Homeward Bound

**Chapter 8: Recovering The Chest & Homeward Bound**

* * *

A.N. Hi all, GreenWiggle2018 here, and I just thought I'd provide a list of the abbreviations (excluding SEDA) used in the story and what they stand for:

1\. RNLI: **R**oyal **N**ational **L**ifeboat **I**nstitution

2\. L&BSCR: **L**ondon, **B**righton and **S**outh **C**oast **R**ailway

3\. BR: **B**ritish **R**ailways

4\. L&YR: **L**ancashire and **Y**orkshire **R**ailway

5\. LMS:** L**ondon, **M**idland and **S**cottish **R**ailway

6\. GNR: **G**reat **N**orthern **R**ailway

7\. GER: **G**reat **E**astern **R**ailway

8\. SR: **S**outhern **R**ailway

9\. GWR: **G**reat **W**estern **R**ailway

* * *

Meanwhile, Percy and True arrived at Knapford Station. True went into the stationmaster's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in." a voice said.

True opened the door and walked up to the stationmaster's desk.

"Well, hello, young lady." said the stationmaster. "How may I help you?"

"I came to claim something from the Lost Property office." True said. "It's a chest that looks like this."

True then showed the stationmaster Percy's copy of Peter Sam's drawing of the Rainbow King's chest. The stationmaster smiled when he saw it.

"Ah, yes." said the stationmaster. "We do indeed have a chest exactly like this one. I'll go get it for you."

The stationmaster left, and returned with the chest.

"Here you are." he said.

True was a mixture of gratitude and elation, and she hugged the stationmaster to thank him.

"Aw, you're welcome, sweetheart." said the stationmaster.

True then took the chest and went out to Percy, who was waiting patiently for her.

"Got it!" said True.

"Great." said Percy. "Let's go!"

With that, Percy went back to Tidmouth with True riding in his cab. When they arrived, they were greeted by Bartleby, Thomas, Edward, Henry, Gordon, James, Toby, and Emily.

"Good, you're back." said Thomas.

"And we have the chest!" said True.

"Great!" said Bartleby. "Now we can give Sir Topham Hatt his present!"

"I'm afraid that's going to have to wait until tomorrow, Bartleby." said Gordon upon noticing the sunset. "It's getting late."

"Alright." said Bartleby.

Soon, the moon was in the sky, and True, Bartleby, and the engines were all fast asleep. The next morning, a short, chubby gentleman wearing a white shirt, a black tie, a yellow waist coat, a black tailcoat, black shoes with white spats, gray pants, and a black top hat on his head came to the sheds. This was Sir Topham Hatt.

"Good morning, engines." he said.

"Good morning, sir!" the engines chorused.

"Sir, we have two new friends that we'd like you to meet." said James.

"Oh, do you now?" asked Sir Topham Hatt.

"Yes, we do." said Thomas.

It was then that True and Bartleby came out.

"Sir Topham Hatt, I presume?" True asked.

"Yes, I am." said Sir Topham Hatt. "And what's your name?"

"My name is True, and this is my best friend Bartleby." said True.

"Nice to meet you." said Bartleby.

"You as well." said Sir Topham Hatt. "Anyways, I have some very exciting news."

"What is it, sir?" asked Thomas.

"My good friend the Rainbow King is coming by for a visit." said Sir Topham Hatt.

True and Bartleby were surprised.

"Did you hear that, Bee?!" True asked.

"I sure did!" said Bartleby.

"When is he going to come?" asked Thomas.

Just then, they heard Harold's rotors.

"Maybe that might answer your question." said Sir Topham Hatt. "I asked Harold to go and pick him up."

In no time, Harold arrived and touched down next to the sheds, and out came the Rainbow King with two of his guards. James was dumbfounded.

"_That's _the Rainbow King?" he asked. "He looks kind of small."

James' comment earned him a slap across the face from Henry.

"Ow!" James said.

"Dude, we talked about keeping your comments to yourself." said Henry.

"Oh, right." said James. "Sorry, King."

The Rainbow King chuckled.

"Oh, that's quite alright." he said.

"Eric!" said Sir Topham Hatt.

"Bertram!" said the King. "It's been such a long time. How've you been?"

"Fine." said Sir Topham Hatt. "And yourself?"

"Right as rain." said the King.

True and Bartleby were just as surprised as before.

"Your name is Eric?" True asked.

"Yes, it is." said the Rainbow King.

"Wow, I never knew that." said Bartleby.

"Neither did I." said True.

"Anyways, I have a gift for you." said the King to Sir Topham Hatt.

"A gift? How wonderful!" said Sir Topham Hatt. "Where is it?"

"It's right here, sir." said True as she and Bartleby carried the chest out of the sheds and set it in front of Sir Topham Hatt.

"Great." said Sir Topham Hatt. "Now, let's see what's inside."

The Rainbow King then gave Sir Topham Hatt the key to the chest. However, just as Sir Topham Hatt was about to unlock the chest, Diesel 10 suddenly rushed in out of nowhere, followed by Splatter and Dodge, and Diesel 10 and snatched the chest with his claw.

"I'll have that if you don't mind!" said Diesel 10.

"No!" True cried.

"Quick, after them!" said the King.

The King and his guards then jumped onto a handcar and set off after the three diesels, but Splatter and Dodge then started throwing water balloons at them. Three of them met their targets, causing the Rainbow King to fall to the ground and the guards to be knocked off the handcar.

"So long, suckers!" laughed Diesel 10 as he and his cronies went out of sight.

The King was furious.

"You hoodlums!" he shouted. "When I get my hands on you, there _will_ be consequences!"

The King and his guards then went back to the others.

"Those scoundrels, whoever they are, threw water balloons at us." said the King. "And they were too fast for us."

True began crying again, and this time, one of the guards comforted her.

"Why are people so mean?" she sobbed.

"Who _were_ those guys, anyway?" asked Bartleby.

"Those three were Diesel 10, Splatter, and Dodge." said Thomas. "They're members of the Vicarstown Gang."

"They're a group of bad engines led by this guy named Smudger." said Toby. "And they also love wreaking havoc and causing mayhem all over the Island. Two dump trucks named Max and Monty are also part of it."

Just then, something clicked inside Percy.

"I just had a thought." said Percy. "Maybe Max and Monty were the ones who set off that explosion back in Chapter 5!"

"Oh, yeah!" said Toby. "And maybe they were also the ones who stole the chest the first time!"

"Yeah!" said Thomas. "It's all coming together now!"

"What's going on?" asked True.

"True, I think we finally know who stole the chest the first time." said Thomas.

The Rainbow King and Sir Topham Hatt were confused.

"What explosion?" Sir Topham Hatt asked.

"And what do you mean by "Stole the chest the first time"?" asked the King.

"I'll explain later." said Thomas. "Sir, would it be alright if we took a look at the surveillance camera tapes you had installed at Tidmouth Yard recently?"

"Sure." said Sir Topham Hatt. "Be my guests. Though, I still don't understand."

"Me neither." said the King.

"Don't worry, that will change." said Thomas.

Soon, they obtained the tapes from the cameras and watched the footage. Sure enough, they saw Max and Monty plant the breaking charge on the boxcar and drive a safe distance away from it, then came the explosion, followed by the two dump trucks grabbing the chest and driving away with it.

"Yup, it was them alright." said Thomas.

Thomas then looked at Percy.

"Get Rosie, Stanley, Ryan, and Peter Sam." said Thomas. "We've picked up the scent of the thieves."

Meanwhile, back at the Dieselworks, Diesel 10, Splatter, and Dodge arrived.

"We've got it, Smudger, we've got it!" Diesel 10 announced.

"Alright!" said Smudger. "Gather 'round, guys!"

Soon, all members of the Vicarstown Gang were gathered around Smudger, who had a lock pick gun at the ready.

"Alright, time to see what you have in store for us." said Smudger.

However, right before Smudger could do what he was about to do with the lock, the doors burst open, courtesy of the SEDA.

"Not so fast, Smudger!" Thomas said.

Smudger looked at the E2 and smiled.

"Well, well, if it isn't Thomas The Goody-Two Shoes Tank Engine, and the rest of the Sodor Engines Detective Agency." said Smudger.

"And someone else." said Thomas.

Then, as if on cue from Thomas, Sir Topham Hatt stepped down from his cab, looking very cross indeed. Smudger was immediately horrified.

"Sir Topham Hatt?!" he gasped.

"That's right." said Sir Topham Hatt. "Now, hand over that chest right now!"

"Never!" said Smudger.

"Listen, you." Thomas said. "What Sir Topham Hatt says goes, and he says to give him that chest, and you will give it to him. **NOW**."

"Make me." said Smudger.

"Gladly." said Bartleby. "Get ready to taste some Kittynati Soup!"

"Uh...what's Kittynati?" Smudger asked.

"I'm wondering that too." said Thomas.

"I'll show you." said Bartleby.

Bartleby then proceeded to leap onto Smudger and started beating him up with his paws and doing all sorts of Kittynati moves against him.

"Get him off of me!" said Smudger.

But instead of helping their leader out, the rest of the Vicarstown Gang were laughing at him and filming him getting beaten up by Bartleby.

"This is going on YouTube." said Max.

Smudger growled.

"Idiots!" Smudger shouted.

True, the SEDA, and even Sir Topham Hatt and the Rainbow King were enjoying this.

"Get him, Bee, get him!" said True.

Just then, Thomas noticed that Smudger had dropped the chest when Bartleby lunged at him.

"He dropped the chest!" said Thomas. "Quick, someone grab it!"

Ryan obliged. Eventually, Bartleby decided to stop what he was doing, and he jumped off of Smudger and strolled casually over to the others.

"And now it's time to see what's inside this chest." said Sir Topham Hatt.

Sir Topham Hatt used the key to unlock the chest, which he then opened. Inside the chest were a hat and suit with rainbow stripes on them.

"Ooh, very nice." said Sir Topham Hatt.

Smudger and the rest of the Vicarstown Gang were dumbfounded.

"We spent half of this story planning that heist we pulled back in Chapter 5 just for some clothes?!" Diesel asked.

"Ah-ha!" said Ryan. "A confession!"

"Uh-oh." said Diesel. "Maybe I shouldn't have said that."

"You think?" said Diesel 10.

"So, Smudger, what do you have to say for yourself?" asked Thomas.

Smudger tried to think of something, but came up for broke.

"That's okay." said Sir Topham Hatt. "You don't have to explain anything. Thomas, Percy, Toby, Rosie, Stanley, Ryan, Peter Sam, True, and Bartleby, you all can go back to Tidmouth. I'll take over from here."

"Okay." said Thomas.

With that, True, Bartleby, and the SEDA went back to Tidmouth.

"Well, gang, it's with great pleasure that I announce that the Case of Who Stole The Rainbow King's Chest is officially closed." said Thomas.

"Yup." said Percy. "What do we do now?"

"Now we wait for Sir Topham Hatt to come back so he can try on his new clothes." said Thomas.

Just then, Sir Topham Hatt arrived onboard BoCo. Once he stepped out of the Class 28 diesel, he gathered his new suit and hat and tried them on in his office at Knapford Station. He soon returned.

"How do I look?" he asked.

"You look great, sir." said Thomas.

"Yeah, you do." said Percy.

"Thank you." said Sir Topham Hatt.

"No problem." said Thomas.

"And thank you again, Eric, for this lovely new suit and hat." said Sir Topham Hatt. "I think I'll wear this to my granddaughter Bridget's birthday party."

"Sounds great." said the Rainbow King.

The King then turned to True and Bartleby.

"I think it's time we headed home." said the Rainbow King.

"You're right, Your Majesty." said True.

But then, Peter Sam remembered something.

"Wait!" he said. "I have something for True and Bartleby!"

"You do?" asked True.

"Yup." said Peter Sam.

He then gave True and Bartleby a rectangular object wrapped in brown paper. When True opened it, she saw that it was a watercolour picture of her and Bartleby.

"Wow." she said. "This is beautiful!"

"Thanks." said Peter Sam.

"Well, goodbye, everyone!" True said.

"Bye, True! Bye, Bartleby!" the engines said as True, Bartleby, the Rainbow King, and his guards boarded Harold and took off.

"Come again soon!" said Sir Topham Hatt.

Elsewhere, Smudger and his gang were working at Whiff's Waste Dump, which was their punishment from Sir Topham Hatt for their actions. They all scowled as they watched Harold fly over them.

"That stupid girl and her stupid cat friend." said Smudger. "If they ever come back here, we'll be waiting for them."

Meanwhile, Harold touched down outside the Rainbow King's castle, and after True, Bartleby, the King, and the guards stepped off, Harold took off again.

"You must be hungry." said the King. "Come, we'll have a feast to celebrate."

Pretty soon, a massive feast was in full-swing. There was plenty of food to get them through the night.

"That was a pretty great adventure, Bee." said True. "I really hope we can make time to go over to Sodor again."

"Yeah." said Bartleby as he took a sip of his drink. "Those engines are really cool. I'd love to hang out with them again at some point."

"I couldn't agree more, Bee." said True.

**The End**


End file.
